Floating launching ways



y 1942- A. M. KENNEDY FLOATING LAUNCHING WAYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 30, 1940 R O T N E V N Mw/Z/W WWW ' y 2- A. M. KENNEDY FLOATING LAUNCHING WAYS 7 Filed Oct. 30, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR y 1942- A. M. KENNEDY FLOATING LAUNCHING WAYS.

. Filed 0d. 30, 1940 a Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR Patented May 12, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOATING LAUNCIVIING WAYS Andrew M. Kennedy, Sewickley, Pa. Application October so, 1940, Serial No. 363,439

2 Claims. (01. 1 14-46) My invention relates to launching-ways for barges and boats of other forms, and has for one of its objects the provision of means forex- 'peditiously and safely launching a boat, without the necessity of constructing expensive and cumbersome launching ways from the dock on which the boat is built, to the water. Another object of my invention is to provide 'in a single compact structure a floating construction dock for boats or barges, together with means for launching the boats or barges from the dock. One form which my invention may take is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 shows a part-length side view of a dock and launching apparatus, constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, on

a reduced scale; Fig. 3 is an end view partly in section; Fig. 4 is a perspective view partially broken away, showing the manner in which the pontoons or chambers of the floating dock are arranged in unitary relation to one another; Fig. 5 is a perspective View on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the structure of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is' an enlarged view showing one of the launching devices of Fig. 2, for releasably holding a barge or boat in place upon the floating dock, and Fig. 7 is a view taken on the line VII-VII of Fig. 6.

The floating dock on which a barge or the like may be built or assembled, and which also carries the launching-ways, is shown as comprising flve pontoons or chambers 8, only three of which are indicated on Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings. These pontoons are provided with suitable bottom and deck plates 9 and Ill respectively (Fig. 3), and with suitable internal bracing and stiffening members II and I2. Also, they may be provided with external struts and stiffening members I3 when desired. The pontoons are arranged in side-by-side relation and rigidly bolted and welded together at I 5, along lines ex-- tending transversely of the dock.

Each pontoon is divided into two chambers by a partition plate l6 and has manholes with suitable covers, at [4 (Figs. 2 and 4). The plates (6 are snugly welded to the inner bottom and side wall surfaces of the pontoons and preferably located nearer to the outer side of the dock than to the shore side thereof. Beams or sills H are secured to the tops or deck plates of the floating dock and extend lengthwise thereof. These beams I! have welded or otherwise rigidly secured thereto, launching skids or ways l8, whose outer ends project beyond the outer side of the dock and are additionally supported by braces l9. As

angles-36 for adjustment to barges of various reciprocation of the latch bar 24.

shown more clearlyin Fig.5, each beam 18 carries a series of rollers 20. r

. A. channel 22, is loosely supported upon each of the series of rollers 20 and each at its inner end has an upstanding flange 23 whereby it may be releasably latched against accidental movement on the rollers 20 towardthe outer edge of the dock. Latching of the bars 22 is efiected by "a keeper 24 (Figs. (iand 7) that has sliding movement into and from holes in upstanding brackets 25 and'has connection with a piston rod 26 that has connection with a piston 21 contained within a cylinder 28 to which fluid pressure is admitted and exhausted through pipes 29 and 3t, toeffect In Figs. 1 and 3, a barge is indicated by the numeral32 and usually the barges will be assembledorbuilt on the floating dock. Aligning brackets 33 are secured to the deck of the dock adjacent to the outer edge thereof by bolting them to angles 34, a series of holes being provided in such angles to permit adjustment of the brackets to suit barges 32 of various widths. Similarly, brackets 35 are provided adjacent to the inner side of the dock and are bolted to widths. The plates and other members entering into the structure of the barge are placed upon the channel strips 22 and between the. brackets 33 and 35, the said brackets serving as aligning members and to prevent accidental shifting of the barge.

The alignment of the barge is mainly efiected by the brackets 35 and in order to effect firm seating of the barge side against such brackets, the inner side of the dock may be tilted downwardly somewhat by admitting water thereto through a pipe 31, from the river, and past-valves 38 and 39 which have their operating stems 40 and 4|, respectively, extending above the deck of the dock (Fig. 3). Such tilting will facilitate placement and alignment of the barge against the brackets 35, after which the water can be pumped from the compartments at the inner sides of the partitions I6, through pipes 42. If

the dock is not too greatly tilted, the water can chambers the water may be evacuated by pumping it through pipes 45 when the valves 43 are closed, or air pressure may be introduced through the pipe 45 to force the water out past the valves 43 and 38.

Since the pontoon chambers are distributed throughout the length of the dock, along each side thereof, it will be seen that the dock can conveniently be maintained with its deck in proper horizontal position, against unbalanced loads thereon that occur during building of the barge, by admitting and dispelling the water to and from said chambers as may be required.

When a barge has been completed, ready for launching, the brackets 33 are removed, ,whereupon the valves 38 and 43 are opened to a": desired quantity of water into the outer chambersof the dock, so that the outer side -ofthe dock will start to sink. At this time the latch bars'24 retain theangle strips 22 against movementit'o ward the outer edge of the dock, thus preventing premature, uncontrolledmovement of'the barge 32 on the launching skids f I8. Uncontrolled launching movement of the barge might result in one end hitting the water too far, in advance of the other end, for example. When the outer edge of the dock has been tipped downwardly to a desired degree, through admission of water to the outer chambers, pressure is admitted to the front ends of all the cylinders 28, simultaneously, to

some instances, it may not be necessary to admit water to the dock preliminary to a launching operation, since if the cylinders 41 and the pushers 48 are of sufficient length, they ca'n move the barge far enough to cause the weight of the barge itself to effect the necessary tilting of the dock.

After launching of a barge, the water will be removed from the compartments at the outer side of the dock so as to restore the buoyancy thereof and bring it into a position for construction of another barge thereon. By positioning the partitions l6 closer to the outer side of the dock than to the inner side thereof, as shown, a smaller quantity of water is required to efiect tilting of the dock. Ropes may be connected to the upturned rear ends of the rails 22 in order to salvage them after they have fallen into the water at the completion of the launching operation.

- I claim as my invention:

1. A floating launching-way structure comprising a floating dock having a plurality of chambers arranged in a plurality of laterally-spaced rows that extend longitudinally of the dock, the chambers normally extending below the surface of the water by which the dock is buoyantly supported, skid rails movably carried on the dock in position to support a boat, means for varying the buoyancy of selected chambers at one side of the dock to tilt the dock at a desired angle for launching a boat therefrom, and means for releasably latching the said skid rails whereby they may be held against movement on the dock until after the clock has been tilted to the desired angle for launching.

' 2. A floating launching-way structure comprising a floating dock having a plurality of chambers arranged in a plurality of laterally-spaced rows that extend longitudinally of the dock, the chambers normally extending below the surface of the water by which the dock is buoyantly supported, skid rails movably carried on the dock and extending transversely thereof in position to support. a boat, means for varying the buoyancy of selected chambers at one side of the dock to tilt the dock at a desired angle for launching a boat therefrom, and means for releasably latching the said skid railswhereby they may be held against movement on the dock until after the dock has been tilted to the desired angle for launching. ANDREW M; KENNEDY. 

